$1210 J class round trip on PR MEL/SYD to S.E Asia

[bwhouse]

This is a great find, especially with PR getting the new Business Studios, from memory they are the same hard product as the Qantas ones.

Bummer it ends in November I need to find flights to Japan in January.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So as I understand it say SYD/HKG with an 11 hour overnight forced layover PR would supply a decent hotel for the night gratis?.

I haven't seen any confirmed reports of STPC being offered... I'd also be interested. I have an overnight at MNL coming up in a few weeks and it's been an arduous task to compare hotels. Plenty of them... but reports are that taxis will rip you off something shocking, and pre-paid transfers are exorbitant given the short distance (only a few kilometres but can apparently take a couple hours to cover the distance).

 

[Melburnian1]

My understanding is that PR will supply an STPC provided that the fare was booked through an Australian-domiciled (and the usual bit about registration) travel agent or the airline's own website. The airline will not do this if one books through the likes of Webjet from memory, but ring the airline and find that out.

As Limewood implies, the added 'free' accommodation is only available if there is no same day connecting flight. For instance to TPE some days there is, and on at least one day northbound (Wednesdays ex Melbourne) there isn't. It has to be a PR connecting flight not a codeshare with CI I think. Southbound, at least from TPE, the free overnight in MNL seems to be on offer which means an opportunity for good shopping.

This condition is exactly the same as with north Asian carriers such as JL and KE that historically northbound at least have offered a free stopover for one night because the London flights traditionally left before flights ex Oz pulled in to NRT or ICN respectively.

As usual, the agent has to arrange this with the airline office (which I gather is in Sydney: it used to have a Melbourne ticket office but that closed) or if a passenger books it on the website, one has to telephone PR in Sydney and ask the staff member arrange it.

I am told that there are a number of choices for the business class fare STPC including the Diamond Hotel Manila that fronts Manila Bay. From Internet reviews the rooms are allegedly a bit dated, but it gets a lot of positive comments, has a good restaurant and buffet breakfast (latter is part of the deal, and perhaps dinner as well - check) and is near a major shopping centre.

A friend just booked MEL - MNL - TPE for well under A$1250 return business class. If this airline can be trusted to deliver the refurbished aircraft on the route when it says it will, the configuration will be 1-2-1 not the current 2-2-2 in J, so a big improvement. Even if a substitute of an unrefurbished one is used, the business class will still be OK. Royal Air Maroc is one of only a tiny number of airlines that also have the latter (about to be superseded on PR) business class beds: there are photos online if one looks hard enough.

I reckon this J return fare is extremely good value. It isn't available every day of the week from MEL or SYD and availability also depends on which destination beyond MNL. Given that sometimes there is availability to Japan, as well as Taiwan and perhaps Thailand and Vietnam among others, it's an interesting range of destinations.

If one wanted to be a real cheapskate and still visit Philippines, one could use the fare, then book a return economy ticket from the 'beyond' destination to Philippines and back. The cheapest would probably be Taiwan (about A$300 return with a cheaper carrier like 5J or BR) as Taipei is only a MEL - BNE sector length in time, and as often the case with Asia, there are either four or five airlines competing on the route.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My understanding is that PR will supply an STPC provided that the fare was booked through an Australian-domiciled (and the usual bit about registration) travel agent or the airline's own website.

Well that's good news. I'm tempted to buy one and was going to fly straight through to HND. But NRT would also work if STPC provided (much nicer arrival time).

 

[bwhouse]

Well that's good news. I'm tempted to buy one and was going to fly straight through to HND. But NRT would also work if STPC provided (much nicer arrival time).

That's exactly what I am thinking. If STPC is included it is a stellar deal. I don't like my chances, but really hope the extend this sale for a few more months.

 

[Melburnian1]

I I have an overnight at MNL coming up in a few weeks...but reports are that taxis will rip you off something shocking, and pre-paid transfers are exorbitant given the short distance (only a few kilometres but can apparently take a couple hours to cover the distance).

Taxis a few years ago used to rip travellers off, but now it's apparently rare. Airport taxis (which cost more, but still cheap) are yellow; normal taxis are white. Avoid the third type (confusingly also white) that operate on some prepaid ticketing system. Refuse any 'offers' of a fixed fare and just get out (or don't board in the first place.) If he doesn't switch on the meter, tell him you will report him. As a final option, when you get out, simply pay what should be the case (about P300 - P400 an hour including the once off flagfall, but this depends on the average speed and how much 'detention' time sitting in traffic there is) and get the hotel staff to convince the taxi driver to leave. Most times though I'm told you won't now have the latter problem.

At each MNL airport terminal some bloke or girl will give you a slip with the taxi number plate rego plus your destination. Keep this. The drivers also have a large photo now with their name and taxi company, which helps in taking down their details in a worst case I gather.

Traffic can be horrendous in MNL but late at night it's much better once the shops have closed at around 2100 hours. It's still better than traffic in CGK though, while I've also found BKK terrible (but BKK has an airport railway now.)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm gald to hear that about taxis... although there's still lots of chatter on tripadvisor about rip-offs (current reports too )

I'm chickening out.. paying PHP900 ($24) each way for a private transfer to my hotel and back... for a whole 2.4km!!

 

[Scarlett]

Well, with dates confirmed for some additional time off later in the year, I've now booked a second of these great deals: SYD-MNL-TPE return in J in September.

Interestingly, I was able to select seats during the booking process for the old config A343 currently used on the MNL-SYD route, for flights booked for early July. However, no seat selection possible for Sept timeframe for my most recent booking. I guess there's still uncertainty of what type will be operating by then.

So, will be ringing PR SYD office to see if I can have seating assigned and will also ask about the overnight hotel situation as we have overnight layovers both to and from TPE.

 

[jb747]

They are extremely interesting deals. Just out of curiosity, are there any other airlines that ever offer anything even vaguely similar? Royal Brunei seems to be about the closest I can find.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

They are extremely interesting deals. Just out of curiosity, are there any other airlines that ever offer anything even vaguely similar? Royal Brunei seems to be about the closest I can find.

The cheapest I've seen (just about ever) for business class return to Asia (excl bali). QF has some specials to Jakarta sometimes in the sub $2000 range. Royal Brunei's standard fares are in the sub-$2000 range but like PR, the connections can be long (or overnight).

 

[jb747]

The cheapest I've seen (just about ever) for business class return to Asia (excl bali). QF has some specials to Jakarta sometimes in the sub $2000 range. Royal Brunei's standard fares are in the sub-$2000 range but like PR, the connections can be long (or overnight).

Staff travel, especially once retired, is pretty much useless these days. So, I'll be joining the rest of you in chasing deals sooner or later. I wouldn't do a long trip without an overnight stop in the middle, so the connections aren't that much of a concern.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

They are extremely interesting deals. Just out of curiosity, are there any other airlines that ever offer anything even vaguely similar? Royal Brunei seems to be about the closest I can find.

These prices are rare ex-AUS. MH have very good J sale fares through the year (bonus OW airline if you have status) but the sales are ex-BKK/MNL/HKT etc. PR yields have been very low ex-AUS so I assume they are trying to build some kind of loyalty??

Having lived in MNL in a previous life I generally found the service on PR to be good but most aircraft old and run down. If you can purchase J seats at these fares and get a refurbished plane it is a no brainer.

Regarding airport taxis, I switched over to Ubër 2yrs ago and never looked back. Same price as a taxi but new vehicle, generally good drivers and all recorded on your phone with no cash payment needed. No more dangerous drivers or unsafe cars that shouldn't be on the road.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Staff travel, especially once retired, is pretty much useless these days. So, I'll be joining the rest of you in chasing deals sooner or later. I wouldn't do a long trip without an overnight stop in the middle, so the connections aren't that much of a concern.

The other option is the miles buying avenue. Buying miles through United or Avianca (Lifemiles) is easy and will give return business class to anywhere in Asia in the $1600-2000 range (through United $2000 will get you first class as far as Hong Kong). Europe/USA is about double those levels.

Lifemiles is not the easiest to redeem, but United is simple, all done on line, and with good availability for Thai Airways and connections onward from Bangkok. Alaska Airlines is an option for cheap oneworld travel, but lack of availability is a major negative.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

The other option is the miles buying avenue.

Is this easy or difficult? I'm lazy when it comes to these methods - the last time I tried was US Airways before the merger with AA and it really took way too much time and energy trying to get anything remotely like I needed.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Is this easy or difficult? I'm lazy when it comes to these methods - the last time I tried was US Airways before the merger with AA and it really took way too much time and energy trying to get anything remotely like I needed.

trying to fit complex itineraries into 'the rules' possible under US airways have long gone. United these says you just hop on line and it does it all for you. Even routings such as PVG-NRT-BKK-SYD (J/F/F) will come up. No need to call. Most partners are available on line (notable exception being SQ) giving plenty of availability.

Lifemiles is is ok for very simple bookings (non-stops and some single connections). anything else with LM is likely to run into manual booking processes.

AA you still call for many itineraries, but they're not cheap. Alaska I don't have any experience with.

 

[Mattg]

Well these are certainly interesting fares!

It appears that the current sale ends today - any idea if it will be back?

 

[Melburnian1]

They are extremely interesting deals. Just out of curiosity, are there any other airlines that ever offer anything even vaguely similar? Royal Brunei seems to be about the closest I can find.

Years ago (at various times) BI used to fly from BNE, DRW or SYD (at least) to Brunei, but since it stopped all these (not concurrently) and introduced the MEL route it seems to have often been the price leader.

One company you haven't mentioned is your own (QF), that occasionally has had 2-for-1 deals in J but a disadvantage is that at all times passengers must travel with each other if I correctly recall.

PR may have had low yields as MrMaxwell states (although fares are high at peajk holiday times) but unlike for instance CX, PR appears (like 5J) to be profitable overall at present. 5J allegedly is still unprofitable MNL - SYD and v.v. while PR (like many airlines) does not disclose route-by-route profitability or losses. It must be slowly carrying more connecting passenger traffic now that it flies from AKL via CNS, BNE via DRW and separately SYD and MEL to MNL, and is daily to LHR albeit at present with old A343s on that longish leg (this may change to a B773ER at some stage.) The connecting passengers assist a little with overall improved revenue generation.

BI doesn't always have huge numbers of seats available as its sole flight, while daily, is not on a high capacity aircraft (B788 - J 18 Y 236) and it connects to DXB, LHR, BKK, HKG, SIN as well as MNL to name a few plus the relatively small origin-destination passengers MEL - BWN and v.v. While all non-Australian based airlines suffer from some disadvantage in this regard, BI's four B788s are in full use daily (three BWN - DXB - LHR and v.v., one DXB - MEL - DXB) so when one goes off for maintenance a flight tends to get cancelled, and on occasion it can be the Melbourne one. Looking at the BITRE figures, BI is not necessarily full in each direction every day. Passenger awareness of BI outside of Melbourne (and perhaps ABX/ MQL and Tasmania) would be pretty low.

It's subjective but I have found the food better on PR in J than on BI, and the latter declines to serve alcohol (although staff will give you a mixer if you bring a miniature on board.)

D7's "J" offering, if one can call it that, is a cheapie version though some say quite reasonable lie flat bed but one must pay for various extras, and it's lacking the privacy found on many airlines in J.

The new J seats on PR may well be better than BI's, and better than MH's A333 J offering.

The mainland Chinese airlines do not advertise any deals they have well, and nor does CI from the attractive island of Taiwan, despite CI having quite a few TransTasman flights each week and then on to or from TPE.

 

[drivatruk]

i booked with two freinds mel to pek with an o/n in Manila and then home from pvg to mel with a two hour layover.. 1150 each

 

[Melburnian1]

i booked with two freinds mel to pek with an o/n in Manila and then home from pvg to mel with a two hour layover.. 1150 each

drivatruk, when I looked up and booked one of these fares, the conditions stated 'open jaw not permitted.' So how did you manage to have the forward journey booked to PEK, and the return from PVG? Good on you if you could, but I thought it was not possible. Similarly when booking I found a MNL stopover (beyond any compulsory one night stay due to no same day connection) could not be incorporated, even though the rules said it was available at an extra cost of A$250.

 

[Oxy]

I too have tried the open jaw with no success, tips much appreciated!